Draft and buffer gear



July 17, 1934. s B, HASELTlNE 1,966,625

DRAFT AND BUFFER GEAR Filed Nov. 8, 1933 2% w w? r29 2 B K i g, D

Inveniqr' Stacy Bfiasettme Patented July 17, 1934 PATENT OFFICE 7 1,966,625 7 DRAFT AND BUFFER GEAR Stacy B. Haseltine, Chicago, Ill., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application November 8, 1933, Serial No. 697,163

7 Claims.

- This invention relates to improvements in draft and buffer gears especially adapted for mine cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a combined draft and buffer gear for mine cars wherein both the draft and bufling forces are cushioned by the same shock absorbing means, which is directly actuated by the bufling heads, and wherein simple and efficient mechanism is provided for transmitting the draft or pulling forces from the car coupling means to the bufling heads.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a mechanism of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph a pair'of shock absorbing members cooperating with each buffing head and simple and eflicient lever means arranged to transmit the draft force directly to the hurling heads in such a manner that the pressure is equalized between the shock absorbing mechanisms of each pair.

Other objects of the invention will'more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of this speciflcation, Figure 1 is a horizontalsectional view, partly broken away, of one end portion of a mine car illustrating my improvements in connection therewith, the section being in three different planes and corresponding substantially to the line 1 1 of Figure 2. Figure 2 isa part front elevational view and part vertical sectional view of construction shown inFigure 1, the section being on the line 2--2 of Figure l; and Figures 3 and 4 are vertical sectional views corresponding respectively to the lines 3-3 and 44 of Figure 2. g p

In said drawing, .10 designates the end portion of a mine car to which my improvedcombined draft and buffer gear is attached. My improvement comprises broadly a support A; a pair of buffing caps B-B; four shock absorbing springs C-C and C-C; a pair ofleversfDf-D; and a coupling connection E. H I p The support A is in the form of a housing, having spring chambers lll1 at oppositesides thereof. The support A may be formed integral with the end portion 10 of the car, that is, the support may be a part of the end sill structure of the car. Each chamber 11 of the support A is defined by spaced top and bottom walls 12 andl3, and a vertical end wall 14. The top and bottom walls 12 and 13' are offset inwardly at the outer sides of the chambers 11 as clearly shown in Figure 2, said offset portions being indicated by 15-15. As will be evident upon reference to Figure 2, the spring chambers 11 are thus formed with contracted sections at the outer sides thereof. At the inner side each chamber 11 is provided with a relatively shallow, vertical web 16 forming the inner wall of said chamber. At the top and bottom ends the wall 16 is provided with relatively short, horizontally disposed, laterally extending wall sections 1'7-17, which as hereinafter more fully described, provide means for supporting one of the coils of the corresponding pair of shock absorbing springs 0-0. The top and bottom walls 12 and 13 of each spring chamber 11 are provided with aligned pivot pin-receiving openings 18-18 at their inner ends, as clearly shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4. The pivot pin openings 18-18 are suitably recnforced by bosses 19-19.

The buffing caps B-B are of similar design, each cap having a vertical front wall 20 provided with a transversely curved outer bufiing face as shown on Figure 1. Each cap B also has spaced parallel vertical side walls 2121 and horizontally disposed top and bottom walls 22 22. Each'bufflng cap 3 is also provided with inwardly extending guide grooves or slots 23 -23 in the top and bottom walls thereof. The guide grooves 2323 are closed at their inner ends by curved walls 2424, which form bearing seats for pivot means on the outer ends of the levers D-- D as hereinafter more fully described. Each bufilng cap B is telescoped within the chamber 11 at the corresponding side of the gear.

The shock absorbing springs C-C and 0-0 are arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the mechanism. "The springs 0-0 of each pair are spaced laterally as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, andhave their rear ends bearing respectively on the inner side of the front wall 20 of the corresponding cap B and the vertical rear wall of the support A.

' The levers D-D serve to transmit draft or pulling forces to the bufling caps B-B. Each lever D is pivoted betweenits ends on the support A by means of a pin 25, extending through the lever and through the openings 18-18 of the top and bottom walls 12 and 13 of the corre- 'sponding spring'chamber 11. At the outer end each lever D is forked as indicated at 26. The forked portion 26 embraces the corresponding spring cap B, and has inwardly projecting trunnions' 27-27 thereon, which engage within the top'and botto'm grooves 2323 of said cap. The inner ends of the levers D--D are hinged to each other by means of a; pin 28 extending through spaced hinge eyes 29-29 and 29-29 of the levers D.

The levers D-D may be connected to the coupling means of an adjacent car in any suitable manner, but as herein shown a coupling connection E in the form of a U-shaped member is pref erably provided. The top and bottom arms of the U-shaped coupling connection E straddle the hinge eye portions of the levers D-D, and the pin 28 which connects the inner ends of the levers also serves to pivotally connect the member E to said levers. As will be evident, the coupling connection E may have the usual chain connection or other coupling means attached thereto.

The operation of my improved draft and buffer gear is as follows: the buffing heads B-B will be moved inwardly upon contact with the bufiing mechanism of an adjacent car, thereby compressing the shock absorbing springs CC and C-C directly against the end of the car. Upon a pulling or draft force being applied to the coupling connection E, the inner ends of the levers DD will be swung outwardly, thereby swinging the outer ends of the levers inwardly toward the car and forcing the bufl'ing caps 3-3 against the springs CC and 0-0. As will be evident, the shock absorbing springs CC and C-C are thus compressed in the same direction in both buff and draft. Outward movement of the caps B- B is limited by engagement of the trunnions 27- 2'7 and 27-27, of the levers D-D, with the bearing seats 24-24 and 24-24 at the inner ends of the slots 23-23 and 23-23. Inasmuch as the inner ends of the'levers D-D bear on the vertical wall of the support A when the parts are in the normal position, movement of the levers will be limited, thereby restricting the outward movement of the buffing caps 3-3.

As will be evident to those skilled in this art, my improved arrangement of levers which transmit the draft forces to the buffer caps assures full compression of the shock absorbing springs in draft together with equalization of the load on the members of each pair of springs, thereby giving maximum efficiency at all times during operation of the gear.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with a fixed abutment means on the end of the car; of cushioning means bearing on and compressible against said abutment means; a pair of laterally spaced buifing caps, slidingly mounted on the end of the car, and movable inwardly towards the end of the car in buff to compress the cushion means against the abutment means; an outwardly movable coupling member at the end of the car, said coupling memher being disposed between the buffing heads; and a pair of levers for transmitting the draft force from the coupling member to the buffing caps, said levers being swiveled to the bufling caps and pivoted between their ends on said abutment means.

2. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with a fixed support on the end of the car; of a pair of bufiing caps at opposite sides of the end of the car; shock absorbing members adapted to receiving buffing shocks from said caps and be, compressed against the end of the car; and levers pivoted between their ends on said support, said levers being connected at their inner ends to a coupling member and having their outer ends swiveled to the buffing caps.

3. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with a pair of laterally spaced buffer caps at the end of the car, said caps being movable inwardly of the car when a bufiing force is applied thereto; of a pair of levers between said buifer caps, said levers being pivotally connected to each other at their inner ends, said connected ends being movable outwardly away from the end of the car when a pulling force is applied thereto; means on the car for pivotally supporting the levers between their ends; means for pivotally connecting the outer ends of said levers to said buffer caps respectively; and cushioning means opposing inward movement of each buffer cap.

4. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with a fixed abutment means on the end of the car; of a supporting member; a pulling member; bufiing caps at opposite sides of the pulling member, said caps being slidable inwardly on the supporting member; a pair of laterally spaced cushioning members interposed between each cap and the abutment means and opposing inward movement of said cap; and levers pivotally connected at their inner ends and pivotally supported between their ends on said supporting member at opposite sides of the pulling member, the outer end of each of said levers being connected to the corresponding buffing cap at a point between the corresponding pair of cushioning members. I

5. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with fixed abutment means on the end of the car; of a supporting member; a. buffer cap movable inwardly on the supporting member, said cap having inwardly extending guide grooves on opposite sides thereof, said grooves being closed at their inner ends; cushioning means interposed between said cap and abutment means; a pulling member movable outwardly away from the end of the car in draft; and a lever pivoted between its ends on said support, said lever having one end connected to the pulling member and having aligned, oppositely disposed trunnions at the other end, said trunnions engaging within the grooves of the buffer cap.

6. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with fixed abutment means on the end of the car; of a supporting member; a pair of laterally separated buffer caps movable inwardly on the supporting member; cushioning means bearing on said abutment means and opposing inward movement of said bufler caps; a pulling member movable outwardly away from the car in draft; a pair of levers swiveled to the buffer caps and extending laterally inwardly toward each other, each lever being fulcrumed between its ends on the supporting member; and a pivot pin connecting the inner ends of the levers and also connecting said levers to the pulling member.

'7. In a combined draft and buffer gear for cars, the combination with a fixed support at the end of the car, said support having spring chambers at opposite sides thereof; of buffer caps slidingly telescoped within said spring chambers, each cap having top and bottom inwardly extending guide grooves closed at their inner ends; a pair of later ally spaced shock absorbing springs in each spring chamber bearing on the corresponding buffer the top and bottom grooves of said cap, said trunnions bearing on the closed inner ends of said grooves during the draft action of the gear; and a pulling member connected to the hinged portion of said levers.

STACY B. HASEL'IINE. 

